Firewood Cord Calculator

How it works

stack volume = length × height × depth (depth = log length × rows) · round stack = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × (wall height + roof height ÷ 3) · loose load = length × width × height × 128 ÷ 180 (12–16 in logs) or ÷ 195 (24 in logs) · full cords = volume ÷ 128 cu ft (3.62 m³) · face cords = volume ÷ (32 sq ft × log length) · steres = volume in m³

A full cord is a volume: 128 cubic feet of wood stacked tight, the amount in a 4 × 4 × 8 ft pile. To measure any stack, multiply its face (length × height) by its depth, which is the log length times the number of rows, and divide by 128. A face cord (also called a rick or rack) is only one row deep, so its size depends on the log length: a third of a cord with 16 in logs, half a cord with 24 in logs. Round stacks are treated as a cylinder with a cone-shaped roof. Wood thrown loose into a truck takes more space than stacked wood, so loose loads are converted with Maine’s legal figures of 180 cubic feet per cord for 12–16 in wood and 195 for 24 in wood. The species setting gives an average seasoned weight and heat content from a University of Kentucky table, and the price setting turns any price into a price per full cord, per face cord and per stacked cubic meter so offers can be compared.

Worked example

A stack 8 ft long and 4 ft high of 16 in logs is 8 × 4 × 1.33 = 42.7 cu ft. That is 42.7 ÷ 128 = 0.33 of a full cord, or exactly one face cord. At $300 a cord the wood is worth $100. Seasoned mixed hardwood of that size weighs about 1,230 lb and holds about 8 million BTU. To hold a full cord, a 4 ft high single row of 16 in logs must be 24 ft long.

Sources: NIST Handbook 130 method of sale for fireplace and stove wood (as published by Connecticut DCP) · Maine Department of Agriculture — standard and loose cord · University of Kentucky — comparison of properties affecting firewood

Frequently asked questions